Pages

Hello everyone! It's February Empties time! As I sit down to post this, DFW is in the middle of a full on snowpocalypse! By that, I mean we're getting just over an inch of snow, but we all know that most of the southern US is not prepared for winter precipitation. Bless our hearts! Anyway, on with the empties!

Beauty Without Cruelty Premium Aromatherapy Moisture Plus Shampoo - This is probably one of the best natural shampoos I've ever used. I really liked it, and I would purchase it again.

Mineral Fusion Anti-dandruff Shampoo - I have used this shampoo for a long time. I'm trying a different one right now, but I will definitely be using this again.

True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - I liked this hand cream. It did make my hands feel nice and moisturized, but I need something stronger right now.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - I go through so many of these. I have some other ones that I'm going to try, but I always go back to these.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - I'm not really a fan of this. It does moisturize well, but I like other moisturizers more.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - I took this sample when I went out of town for a weekend. I'm currently using the full size of this, but I haven't formed a solid opinion of it yet.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer with Sunscreen - I like this for a daytime moisturizer, but it's expensive for only 1 fl oz (29mL) of product. I run out of it too quickly, so I won't repurchase this.

From the Lab Renewing Beauty Elixir No. 602 -I featured this in my Current Skincare Routine, and it is good stuff! I will definitely repurchase it after I use up some of my other products.

Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Mascara - I really enjoyed this mascara. Maybelline generally does not let me down in the mascara department. I have a review of this here. I would repurchase.

Those are all of the products I have used up this month! That brings my total empties count up to 18 for the year so far. I'm curious to see how many products I use up this year. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by! Feel free to leave a comment below!

Hello, all! Thanks for stopping by. I hope all of you have had a great week. Today, I have a review of another product from InstaNatural. It has been so nice to get to know this brand a little bit by trying out some of their different products. I have the Dead Sea Mud Mask that was sent for review.

Do I have something on my face?

The InstaNatural Dead Sea Mud Facial Mask is sold on Amazon for $24.97. There are so many choices when it comes to masks. You can find any kind of mask and any price point out there, so here are some things about this mask that may be a little different.

Huge Jar - This comes in a 16 oz jar. That is huge for a mask! The other mud masks that I currently own come in 6 oz (Freeman) and 1.2 oz (GlamGlow).

Natural Ingredients - I know that some people are more concerned with ingredients than others, but I try to use skincare with ingredients in mind as much as I can.

Thickness and Texture - This mask is not as thick as other mud masks I have tried. I actually like this a lot for use during the winter. When I use this mask, I feel like my skin has been clarified without being completely dried out. This is a great option for people with drier skin that still want to use a purifying mud mask. I know I won't be using my thick mud masks again until the middle of summer.

Do you like to you mud masks? Which one is your favorite? I can't resist a good product recommendation!

Hello everyone! I'm back from a short hiatus. I had a powerlifting meet out of town, so I wasn't able to devote my attention to blogging. Have no fear because I was still using and testing out products! The crazy, ever-changing weather has left my lips so dry, turning me into more of a gloss person right now. So, I have for you the Covergirl Lip Lavas in Ooh La Lava and Live Love Lava.

Top to bottom: Ooh la lava, Live love lava

Direct sunlight

Indoor lighting

Brush applicator

The Covergirl Lip Lavas are highly pigmented glosses with lots of sparkle. Both of the colors I chose have a bit of blue shimmer in them that's perfect if you prefer cool tones. I love the sparkle, and the fact that you cannot feel any grittiness from the shimmer makes it even better. The product has a very slight scent to it, but it does not have a taste. These come with a small brush applicator. The brush is quite stiff, but I like that because I can get a precise application. I often have to fake my lip line a little, and this brush makes that easy to accomplish even with a gloss. These shades are fairly long lasting for a gloss, and I can get a few hours of wear out of them. Of course, the darker shade, Live Love Lava, lasts a little bit long than Oh la lava, and I was pretty surprised when it was still on after I ate lunch. These aren't long wearing glosses, but you won't have to worry about reapplying every hour either.

ooh la lava

live love lava

It seems that when Covergirl gets a product right; they really get it right! I am loving the Lip Lavas! I would like to try a couple of other colors if I can find them in stock anywhere. The next ones I would try would be Lychee Lava and Mauva Lava.

Have you been able to get your hands on the Covergirl Lip Lavas? Which colors did you try, and what did you think?

Thank you all so much for sticking with me! I'll be checking in again with you soon!

Hello everyone! It's time for my montly favorites and empties. This year, I'm keeping a count of all of my empties. It will be really interesting to see how many products I use up in a year.

Let's start with the favorites! I've been switching up my makeup a lot, so I haven't been loyal to many makeup products. Skincare has really been what I'm loving right now, so that leads me to the first product.Perricone MD Blue Plasma - This is a daily non-acidic peel, and I love what this has done for my skin. This product was included in my recent skincare post.Real Techniques Blush Brush - This brush is larger than what I would typically use for blush, but I really like this shape. I really like how this brush comes to a point, so it blends out blush really nicely. You cannot go wrong with Real Techniques brushes!The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver - This is a solid cleanser that is meant for paint brushes but works really well cleaning makeup brushes. I got this at a craft store, and it was very affordable. I can't remember exactly how much it was, but I don't think I paid more than $10. It has lasted quite a while, and I still have a lot. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer - This is in the old packaging for this product, so it has been in my collection for a little while. This concealer is very opaque, and a little goes a long way.Noir Tease perfume - I got this Victoria's Secret perfume for Christmas, and I wore it all month. It's not too strong, and it smells like vanilla and berries. The bottle is too cute to not be in my favorites!

Moving on to the empties! It seems like I should have more empties than this, but I can think of at least three products that I have only one or two uses left. I will definitely have more to show for February.Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes - I used up two of the full size packs and one small. This is my favorite of the wipes that I have tried, and I love that I can get them at Costco.Hask Argan Oil Repairing Conditioner - I received this for review purposes (review here), and really liked it. I appreciate hair care that is environmentally responsible and doesn't test on animals. I really like the ingredients in Hask products. I would buy this.Patricia Wexler Dual-Action Foaming Cleanser - My mom gave me some Patrician Wexler products to try, but most of them didn't work with my skin. This cleanser was okay, but I don't think I would repurchase anything from Patricia Wexler. I don't think Bath & Body Works carries this brand anymore, so I wouldn't even know where to buy.Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimizer - This was a very moisturizing eye cream. I used it in the evening, and I don't think this made my undereye area any brighter. It was nice, but I won't repurchase.AzureNaturals Ultimate Retinol Anti Wrinkle Serum - I received this for review purposes. This is a lightweight night serum. I prefer lightweight products for my skincare, so I really enjoyed this. I would repurchase this after I've put a big enough dent in my stash to purchase another skincare item. You can read my review of this here.Love & Toast Paper Flower Handcreme - This cream had a really nice, light scent. I enjoyed using it while it lasted, but I really need something stronger. This winter has not been kind to my hands.That is everything I have for my January favorites and empties. My total empties count is at 8! That's not very impressive so far, but I have some things already on the way out. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything in this post! Leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!-xoxo LaurenLet's be friends!